Western Gourmet Toastmasters Club

Next Meeting

See flyer for all details of our next meeting.

Take note See the speaking program and other details of next meeting.

Attendance

Because every meeting is a catered function, members and visitors MUST BOOK for each meeting. And if you book, you will generally be liable to pay unless an apology is received Booking48 hours before the meeting.

To book, please contact Allie Marriott by  or phone her on 0478 771 089.

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A Profile of Western Gourmet Toastmasters Club

Overview

Western Gourmet is a Toastmasters Club that;

  • Holds meetings on the 2nd Friday of each month at different restaurants in Western Sydney, centered on Parramatta in NSW, Australia.
  • Caters for people
    • Who enjoy a monthly social dinner with friends at a wide variety of restaurants (See a history of the venues that we have used.)
    • Who enjoy the fellowship and learning experience of a well organised Toastmasters Club
    • Who are prepared to face the challenges involved in speaking at a variety of venues, sometimes in a less than ideal environment.

See photos of some meetings.

Meeting

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Membership Profile

Current or previous membership of another Toastmasters is not a pre-requisite of membership and we do not call ourselves an advanced Club. But it is true that all our members have had previous Toastmasters experience. This is probably desirable, since we do not spend time orientating new members about the Toastmasters program.

Many of our members also belong to other Toastmaster Clubs, some being very active in those and some not. Others of our members have had careers in other Clubs, achieved their goals there and have now found that our Club gives them an opportunity to keep their skills current in a more social and less time demanding framework. Thus we fulfil a need for long-term Toastmasters, giving them a reason not to drop out of the organisation.

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Meeting Format

Each of our meetings is organised by by a nominated member who has the role of Master of Ceremonies. The Master of Ceremonies (MC) starts work some months before the meeting by choosing a Meeting Theme. The MC then designs a program and allocates assignments in conjunction with the VP Education. The MC is also responsible for decorating the venue in a manner to complement the chosen theme. For more details, see summary of the MC role.

There is no standard format for the program. Rather MCs are encouraged to use as much creativity and imagination as possible for their "once a year" night. One item traditionally included though is a Round Robin. This requires each person present to address some aspect of the theme, some times being asked to bring or describe something. The Round Robin requirements are nominated by the MC in the advance program.

Most meetings incorporate Table Topics and 3 Pathways speeches, all connected with the theme and with evaluations, but some MCs have devised more creative alternatives ranging from Karaoke to theatre sports. We do not have a General Evaluator, but instead ask for a more mature review of aspects of the meeting and theme through the role of Epilogue.

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Club Operation

Despite our different approach to the Toastmasters program, we still aim to have all aspects of our meetings and administration comply with the standards of a quality club. We have achieved Distinguished Club status each year since our formation in June 1999, being President's Distinguished in 2001/2002, 2002/2003, 2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2006/2007, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2019/20, Select Distinguished in 2005/2006, 2007/2008, 2011/2012, 2013/2014, 2014/15, 2018/19 and Distinguished 2012/13, 2015/16.

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Visitors

One aspect of our meetings is the presence of visitors. Our meetings are known to be fun nights and some of the restaurants we use attract particular visitors. These visitors are very welcome, since we need the numbers to help us negotiate deals with restaurants.

Some visitors who we see often are known as "groupies". This is a term of endearment that describes semi-regular visitors who enjoy our meetings and restaurants, but who do not necessarily want to commit to membership and regular attendance. We welcome them as part of our extended family.

Thus we extend an invitation to all Toastmasters and ex-Toastmasters to visit us occasionally or regularly to enjoy a night with us. Hopefully, like many "groupies" in the past, you will then take the opportunity to join us as a regular member.

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